


The Power of Four

by AnotherGirlWithAStory



Category: Now You See Me (Movies)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-17
Updated: 2017-05-01
Packaged: 2018-10-20 06:04:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,160
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10656444
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnotherGirlWithAStory/pseuds/AnotherGirlWithAStory





	1. The Power of Four

J. Daniel Atlas had been taken into questioning by the FBI. Again. His hands were chained to the table. Again. And he was about to go face to face with another agent who wrongfully believed himself or herself to be the smartest person in the room. Again.  
A sigh escaped his lips as he played around with the deck of cards he had been carrying in the pocket on his chest. Four cards were lined up in front of him: the jack of hearts, the king of hearts, the queen of diamonds and the ace of diamonds. He could hear the slight buzzing from the camera when it moved probably to get a closer look at the cards he had chosen and Danny didn’t bother hiding his smile. The door opened and for a brief moment Danny heard the sounds of three voices he always recognized. 

Merritt sounding slightly annoyed asked what they were doing there while Henley loudly proclaimed that if they wanted to watch Danny answer questions they would have asked him themselves; Jack told them good luck with a hint of arrogance. Danny had no trouble believing that the sleight patted someone for the purpose of stealing something from them. 

“J. Daniel Atlas.” 

“Agent Dray.” Danny stiffly retorted without looking up. “You don’t have to arrest me to talk to me. You could have called me.” 

The blond sat down on the chair on the opposite side of the table. “Would you have answered?” 

“For a pretty blond like you?” Danny raised an eyebrow. “Maybe not. My weakness is brunettes.” 

“And males.” 

Danny hummed. “Making assumptions, are we? You guys must really be getting desperate. It must be difficult being a police when there’s no evidence to tie someone to a crime. Otherwise, I can imagine it would be quite a thrilling job.” 

Alma shrugged. “It’s not as exciting as the life of a criminal what with being constantly chased by someone but it has it perks.” 

Danny hummed again. “I wouldn’t know.” 

“No,” Alma shrugged. “I suppose you wouldn’t know about the life of a police but from what I’ve read you know a lot about the life of a criminal and always having someone chasing you.” She opened the file she had put on the table and read out loud. “Stealing cars when you were fifteen, that eventually landed you in juvie, when you got out you began stealing jewelry; all evidence pointed to you but nothing could be proved. And now, this. How is it that you could be arrested then but not now?”

Danny shrugged. He gestured towards the four cards on the table. “Pick a card.” 

Alma Dray gave him an amused smile but never the less reached for the queen of diamonds. 

“That’s a good choice, Agent Dray. Personally…” he took the jack of hearts and held it in front of her as he glanced at the card. “I’m a bit weak for the jack of hearts. He’s prettier than her.”

“But the queen is stronger.”

“That is true. The queen is stronger than the jack. But the king is stronger than both of them and the ace is stronger than all three of them.” For every card he mentioned, Danny pointed at it on the table. “These four cards have in common that they are all very powerful by themselves. But they are even more powerful when they are together.”

“The power of four.” Alma said as she put the card back on the table. 

“Exactly.”

Alma crossed her arms over her chest. “That’s very nice Daniel but you still haven’t answered my question.” 

Danny gave her a smile before glancing at the darkened window. “No, I suppose I haven't.”


	2. The Ace of Diamonds

Danny moved the cards back and forth between his hands while keeping his eyes firmly locked on Alma Dray. He knew they would be taken into custody and questioned but he didn’t expect it to happen twice. Danny tilted his head to the side and gave her a tiny smile that he knew would aggravate her like nothing else. She crossed her arms in front of her chest. 

“Tell me about Merritt McKinney.” 

Danny shrugged. “Mentalist, reads people for a living, horrible hat, makes terrible jokes and is probably terrorizing someone in your staff this very moment by revealing very private things.” 

Alma frowned. “You don’t believe there’s any magic in what he does?”

“I know there’s not.” Danny replied.

“So, what is it that he does?” 

“He reads people.” Danny replied with another shrug. “He’s very good at it too. I’ll give him that much.”

Alma hummed and leaned back into her chair. She frowned when looked at Danny who continued his monotonous movement of shuffling the cards between his hands without once coming close to failing.

“Would you say that you care about Merritt?” 

“In what way?” 

“As in you don’t want him to end up in prison kind of way.” Alma leaned forward again. “Because if you don’t tell me the truth he will. My partner failed to tell you last time but we found Merritt’s prints on the scene of the crime. We don’t have to understand how he did it to nail him for the crime. How would you feel about Merritt going to prison for you?” 

Danny’s smile grew and he laughed. “Has this method ever worked for you? Or is this the first time you’ve tried it because if this is the first time then you don’t have to try it again.” 

“So that means that you would let him take the fall for you?” 

Danny stopped shuffling the cards just to shake his finger at her. “That question stems from the assumption that I have done something criminal that he could take the fall for. I have committed no such crime Miss. Dray.”

“Fine.” Alma hissed. “Tell me about Merritt? What is his role in the group?” 

“He brings dynamic to our shows, he’s expressive, outgoing, ambitious and hardworking.” 

“What about when you commit crimes?” the wrinkles on Alma’s forehead grew deeper as Danny’s laugh echoed in the room. 

“I wouldn’t even answer that question if it was a hypothetical one. Because neither Merritt or I have committed any crime.” Danny laughed again and leaned forward. The deck of cards carefully put on the table next to him. “I’m no mentalist Miss. Dray but I’m going to give it a try and say that you’re experiencing some anger. Am I right?” 

Alma didn’t respond. She pushed out her chair and stomped out the room before slamming the door closed behind her. Danny laughed as he leaned back and bounced his chair back and forth. Something told him that he had guessed right.


	3. The Queen of Diamonds

Danny leaned back into his chair when the door was opened for a second time and a much calmer looking Alma Dray entered the room.

Danny tilted his head to the side and gave her a one-sided smile. “I consider myself to be quite intelligent Miss. Dray but I still haven’t been able to figure out why you’re keeping my friends out there as an audience.” Danny shrugged. “That must be a complete waste of the governments money, don’t you think?”

Alma shook her head as she sat down on the opposite side of the table. “Money is rarely a problem when it comes to catching bad guys.”

Danny laughed. “We’re not bad guys.”

“You keep telling me.” Alma replied monotonously as she watched the pens she was placing in front of her in perfect line against her notepad. “So, do you want to talk about Henley Reeves? I have a feeling that you like her a lot more than you do Merritt McKinney.”

“What gave you that idea?”

Alma tilted her head to the side. “You didn’t deny it.”

I wasn’t aware that it was a question.” Danny crossed his arms over his stomach and leaned back into this chair. “Henley Reeves is a powerful, no bullshit kind pf woman with talents and a lot of knowledge to help get her where she wants to be. Luckily, she wants to get to the same place as the rest of us.”

Alma hummed. “She doesn’t like germs.”

“So? A lot of people have problems with germs.” Danny shrugged and frowned.

“Yeah, you’re right as per usual J. Daniel Atlas. But most people don’t risk ending up in prison for robbing a French bank. I don’t know what you think but I’m guessing that there’s a lot of germs in those cells waiting for her and the rest of the gang.” Alma was nowhere as angry as Dylan Rhodes was and maybe that was the reason that Danny’s hair stood up in his neck.

The way she refused to look him in the eyes for more than just a few seconds had him wanting to scream at her and he wanted to kick the table so that those pens didn’t lay so perfectly straight. But he gave her a smile in spite of the feelings threatening to claw out of his body and make him do something that he would probably regret.

“Yeah well, like I said, Henley is a capable woman. I’m sure she’d do fine.”

The smile on Alma’s face grew. “So, Henley has done something criminal.” Danny raised his eyebrows in confusion. “When I asked about Merritt you said that he wouldn’t end up in prison because he hadn’t done anything criminal.”

“Of course not,” Danny said with a shake of the head. “She has done nothing wrong either. I just assumed we were talking hypothetically.”

“Would you say that you care for Henley Reeves?” Alma leaned her arms on the table and moved closer to him.

Danny nodded. “Yeah.”

“And you would want to protect her? One might say that you would go to great lengths to protect her.” Again, Danny nodded and responded yes. The smile on Alma’s face warped into a grin. “What about Jack Wilder?”


	4. The King of Hearts

Danny leaned forward against the table. In one swift movement, he collected the four cards on the table and put them on top of the others all while trying to maintain his carefully constructed mask of indifference. He didn’t like the way Alma looked at him and for the first time since the questioning had started Daniel struggled with the part he had managed to play in spite of her attempts to break him. He glanced at the window; it was too dark for him to see through but he knew that they could see him.

“Did I step on some toes?” Alma asked with a teasing voice. 

Daniel took a deep breath and leaned back into his chair again. He shuffled the cards between his hands and focused on counting in his head. 

Every now and again he would look up at Alma and show her a card. “Was that your card? No? I’ll just keep looking.” 

“You haven’t answered my question yet.” Alma commented after Danny had shown her the third card.

Danny hummed disinterestedly as he struggled to keep the emotions away from his face not just because of Alma Dray but because he knew that Jack Wilder was watching. “What question was that?”

“Do you care about Jack Wilder?” 

Danny shrugged. “He’s a good guy. I consider him a friend so yeah I guess I do.”

Alma hummed. Though Daniel kept his eyes locked on the deck of cards in front of him he could still see the satisfied smirk on her face. He wanted to tap his feet against the floor like he always did when he was nervous. He bit his lower lip and cursed himself seconds later as the smile on her face grew. 

“You fascinate me Daniel.” 

Danny raised his eyebrow and gave her something that almost looked like a smile. “I’m glad.”

“Do you want to know why?” 

“I don’t actually.” Danny commented with a laugh. “But I’m guessing that you’ll tell me anyway.” 

“You act like the almighty leader who doesn’t care about anyone. It’s a nice persona and you play it very well.” Danny pretended to take of an invisible hat. Alma laughed dryly. “You may even fool the people you call your companions but you can’t fool me. Because I can see that underneath that cold exterior you’re hiding really strong emotions for someone. I don’t know why you’re so damn stubborn about keeping them inside but I assume it’s a side effect from…” 

“Shut up.” Danny’s face had gone still. His mouth was a thin line and when he glared at Alma it was without hiding the anger that spread through his body like fire. 

Alma moved closer to him. “Touchy subject? I can imagine and I understand why you wouldn’t want me to talk about it in front of your companions especially not…” 

Danny stood up. The handcuffs that had restrained him laid still locked on the table in front of him. “I think we’re done here.” 

Alma stood. “What if I say no?” 

“Then I’ll call my lawyer.” Danny said without hesitation. 

“I thought you hadn’t done anything criminal.” 

“I haven’t.” Danny tilted his head to the side and gave her a teasing smile; the kind that could make people want to tear their hair out. “I’m just an asshole who likes to make things hard for people like you.”


	5. The Jack of Hearts

The tension in the car was thick enough to cut through with a knife. Danny sat pressed up against the window; he was determined to have as much distance between himself and Jack as was humanly possible. He could still see the smug smirk on Alma Dray’s face as she allowed him to leave. Danny realized when he saw the facial expressions of the other three that there had been a purpose for them standing there.

His cheeks turned violently, and uncharacteristically, red as Jack looked him in the eyes and he muttered a quiet let’s go before leading the way out of the building. When they came outside Jack stood next to him with a frown apparent on the normally calm boy’s face. 

“Are you okay?” he asked.

Danny glanced at him and nodded. “Yes, I’m fine.” He forced himself to smile. “It was all part of the plan, right?”

Jack nodded. Not entirely convinced. And painfully aware of the fact that this had not been part of the plan at all. “Yeah, sure it was all part of the plan.” 

Danny could feel Merritt glance over at him every now and again as they waited for the cab to show up. Even more when they got in the car. Danny crossed his fingers and hoped with everything he was worth that he wouldn’t be questioned about his reaction when there was nowhere for him to run. Like Merritt had read his mind he leaned forward so that he became more visible behind Henley and Jack.

“Would you mind explaining to me why you dropped the act Atlas?” the mentalist asked with a tone of voice that made it sound as if he already knew the answer even if Danny had yet to say it. 

Danny shrugged. 

“What’s the matter? Cat got your tongue?” Merritt continued in a nonchalant voice. “Look man, I don’t really care but it could be good for us to know if you have some kind of weakness that they can use.” 

Still no words came from Danny’s firmly pressed together lips. Merritt sighed. 

“Do not push me Daniel Atlas. Because I can figure you out even if you don’t want to. Just because you don’t believe that what I do is magic doesn’t mean that it’s not effective.” Danny smirked at Merritt’s words and somewhat tilted his head towards the mentalist. “So you have a weakness… several weaknesses, it has to do with you… us… not all of us… me… Henley… Ja-“ 

Every time Merritt guessed the right thing his smile grew and Danny’s lips turned into an even thinner line than it was the moment before. 

“Excuse me,” Danny leaned forward towards the driver. “I’m getting out right here.” 

“Here?”

The drivers question had Danny roll his eyes and he answered with a tone of irritation. “Yes, here.” 

“Where are you going?” Henley asked as Danny opened the door. 

The showman left without another word, there was nothing coming through the sound of his own blood rushing through his ears or the feeling of his heart making an attempt to break through his chest. He felt slightly nauseous by the idea that the thoughts that had been roaming his mind since the first time he laid eyes on Jack Wilder had almost been spoken out loud. 

Because that would have been a catastrophe. 

A spur of curse words left his mouth as he saw the car with the three horsemen driving by him. He scrunched his face together and squinted at the car. Or was it only two. 

“Hey man.” Danny flinched when a hand touched his shoulder and a fearful expression appeared on his face for a few seconds until he saw who it was. Jack himself. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” 

“That’s okay.” Danny said nodding as he continued walking forward now with Jack by his side. “What are you doing here?” 

“I came to make sure that you were okay.” Jack replied as he pushed his hands into his pocket. There was a moment of silence when Danny almost felt like they were the only two people in the world. “So, do you want to talk about what happened back there?”   
Danny rolled his eyes. “I would prefer not to but I’m assuming that we’re going to anyway.” 

Jack laughed. Just the sound was enough to make Danny’s smile grow. “You’re very right about that Danny. But since you might be more comfortable talking hypothetically. Let’s hypothetically say that I like this guy and almost found out that he liked me back. What would I do?”

“Tell him?” Danny said with a slight hesitation in his voice. 

Jack took a quick step forward and put his hands on Danny’s shoulders to make him stop. “I like you.”

“You like me?” 

Jack nodded. He took a step forward. “I like you.” The moment those words left his lips Danny’s mind began buzzing with thoughts. Jack laughed. “Don’t think about this too much. What do you want to do right now?”

A slight blush appeared on his cheeks as the thought entered Danny’s mind. He looked Jack’s lips and felt a tingling sensation go through his body. 

“You have to use your words.” Jack said with a slight smile on his face. 

Danny rolled his eyes. “I want to kiss you.” 

The smile on Jack’s face grew as he took another step forward and eliminated the space between them. Danny could feel Jack’s breath against this skin as the sleight whispered words that Danny never thought he would find beautiful. “Then do it.”


End file.
